Keg-soaking apparatus.



R. TROEHLBR.

KEG SOAKING APPARATUS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED MAY 11, 1911.

Patented Feb.1,1915.

Meme

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@we mm R. TROEHLER.

KEG SOAKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1911.

l lgm Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 windu-M 3 um i *Tk RUDOLPH TROEI-IIER, 0F CINCINNATI,OHIO.

KEG-SOAKING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.. f6, MM5.

application mea May 11,1911. serial No. 626,556.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH TRom-ILER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio. haveinvented a certain new and useful Keg-Soaking Apparatus; and I dodeclare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of theinvention, attention being called to the two sheets of drawings whichaccompany this application and form a part thereof.

This invention concerns an apparatus used in connection with means anddevices provided for cleaning barrels and kegs and more particularly inthe manner in which this work is carried on in breweries. Washing andrinsing machines have been provided for this purpose which operate uponthe kegs after they have been subjected first to a preliminary soakingwhereby water is also admitted to them to clean and rinse theminteriorly.

rThis invention relates more particularly to the apparatus which servesto administer this preliminary soaking to the kegs outside and inside,to introduce water into them and to deliver' them thereafter to thewashing and rinsing devices to be subjected to further treatment bythem.

The invention consists more particularly of the construction of such anapparatus, a leading feature of which concerns certain means andmechanism whereby the mere placing of the kegs starts them off andcauses them to pass automatically through the apparatus and out ofthesame to the other cleaning devices referred to to be further acted uponby them.

In the following specilication and particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof, will be found a full description of myinvention, together with its 0peration, parts and construction, whichlat-- ter is also illustrated in the accompanying two sheets ofdrawings, in which Figure l, shows the apparatus in sideelevation withparts between the ends broken away, kegs passing through it being shownin dotted lines. Fig. 2, is a top-view of a part of the apparatus, moreparticularly the part of it near the discharge end, this being at theleft of Fig. l. Fig. 3, shows an endview of the apparatus, it being moreparticularly the receiving end, or the end at the right side of Fig. l,the parts being in position ready to receive a keg to be raised into thetank. Fig. 4, shows the upper part of Fig. 3, with parts in operativeposition and while in action for raising a keg into the tank. -F ig.5,in a similar view shows the same parts in operative position followingtheir operation shown in the preceding figure and while in action toreturn to normal position. Fig. 6, shows in a view similar to Fig. 3,analogous devices provided and used at the discharge end of theapparatus, said devices being in an intermediate position. Fig. 7, in aview similar to a part of Fig. l, shows a modified construction of acertain device illustrated there and hereinafter more fully described.

'lfhe apparatus consists essentially of an elongated tank A adapted tocontain water, preferably hot, customary means being` provided to supplythe same and to maintain it at a fixed level and to permit draining ofthe tank whenever necessary. The apparatus consists further of anelevator B whereby the kegs are moved into this tank at one end of thesame and delivered upon inclined track-rails 8 therein on which theyroll down toward the other end of the tank and upon another elevator Cthereat, whereby they are raised out of the tank and dischargedtherefrom. Both elevators operate automatically after a keg is placedupon them, upon the iirst one by the operator and upon the second one bythe inclined track-rails which lead to it.

The dimensions of all the parts are such as to permit handling of thecustomary sizes of barrels and kegs used and the length of the tank issuliieient to permit a number of them to be in soak at a time, each kegbeing required to pass through the entire length of the tank which itdoes not leave until all kegs introduced before it have passed out. Thedepth of the water above rails 8 is such as to prevent the kegs fromfloating, so as to produce sutiicient immersion and to cause water toenter them through their open bung-holes.

Each elevator consists substantially of a` suitable frame adapted toprovide support for a barrel, means for raising and lowering this frameand means for guiding it during this movement.

The frame of the first elevator consists of the platform B proper, andof a cross-beam 9 to which the platform is secured by two rods l1. Thisframe, at beam 9, is connected to the means whereby the elevator is llOraised and lowered. It is fitted to be guided during this movementbetween two posts 12, elected outside of the receiving end 13 of thetank. A keg to be raised is received upon two sills 14 attached to andforming a part of the elevator' platform and extending from it towardthe end of the tank and preferably slightly inclined thereto.

15-15 are two arms rigidly connected to a rocker-rod 16 supported on theend 13 of the tank, said arms extending outwardly from said rod anddownwardly toward the elevator when the same is in its lowest orreceiving position. Un one end of rod 16, there is a rigidly connectedarm 17 which extends in a direction substantially opposite to that ofarms 15 and the end of this arm is connectedk by means of a link 18 to alever 19 pivotally supported at 21 and connected at the other side ofthis pivot by means of a link 22 to the mechanism whereby the elevatoris raised and lowered.

1f a keg is placed upon the elevator as shown in dotted lines at a inFigs. 1 and 2, it displaces arms 15, rocks rod 16 and by means of thedescribed intermediate lever elements and structures including links 18and starts the operation of the raising mechanism. Lever 19 is balancedby means of a weight 23, so that in placing the keg against arms 15these latter yield freely causing the raising mechanism to respondpromptly. rlhe keg while being lifted up, leans against two inclinedrails 24 which keep it out of contact with rod 16 and also render theupward movement easy by reducing frictional interference. The act ofthus placing a keg upon the elevator and which act has caused actuationof lever 19 as before described, has also affected another leverstructure and raised arms 25 forming part of this structure and mountedupon a rocker-rod 26, supported on the inside of tank end 13, theposition of these arms being one above the upper end of the track-rails.rlhis is accomplished by means of a link 27, connected to rocker-rod 26,by means of an arm 23 also forming a part of this lever-structure. Thennow the rising keg rolls off from the elevator which it does as soon asthis latter arrives on a level with the upper edge of the tank tseeposition b), there being nothing in the way any more to further restrainit, the keg necessarily drops upon these arms 25 while passing into thetank and rolling upon rails 3 therein (see position c, in Fig. 1.) Thiscontact depresses arms 25 -and shifts lever 19 and link 22, whichactuation causes the elevatormoving mechanism to operate in a manner tolower the elevator to its original position. This elevator-movingmechanism is mounted upon a base 29, supported on posts 12 and connectedalso to the elevator. This connection may be a rack or a screw tooperate in conjunction with a complementary machineelement.

I have shown a screw 31 mounted to r0- tate in base 29 and in engagementwith a nut 32 attached to cross-rail 9. A bevely gear 33 is attached tothe upper end of this screw and in mesh with a pinion 34, mount- 'edupon a shaft 35 and whereby screw 3l is rotated either in one oi theother direction and as necessary to either raise or lower the elevator.rl`his change of direction in rotation is accomplished by rotatingpulley 36 which drives shaft 35 accordingly and by either one of the twobelts 37 and 38, one of which travels in a direction opposite to that ofthe other, said belts being shifted correspondingly. 1f driven from oneline or countershaft, one of said belts may be crossed to obtain thismovement in opposite direction. lVhen the apparatus is at rest, thesebelts travel on loose pulleys, belt 37 on a pulley 39 and belt 38 on apulley 41, one of these pulleys being on each side of tight pulley 36,the belts being spaced accordingly. (See lig. 3). A belt-shifter 42 isin engagement with both belts and serves to adjust both simultaneously.

W hen the placing of the keg upon the clevator has acted upon arms 15and shifted the connected lever-structure including lever 19, as beforedescribed, link by means of an angle-lever 43, moves the belt-shifterand by it belt 3S upon tight pulley 36 setting screw 31 in motion andlifting the elevator. Belt 37 simply remains upon loose pulley 39, itbeing moved laterally upon the same, note these positions in Fig. 4. 44is a shifter which travels with the elevator and is in slidingengagement with a rod 45 connected to angle-lever 43. 1n due time thisshifter comes in contact with a. shoulder 46 ou said rod, see dottedlines in Fig.4, and pushingthislatter,acts also upon angleslever 43 andcauses the beltsshifter to gradually move belt 38 ofi from tight pulley36 and onto loose pulley 41. Thereupon the upward movement of theelevator ceases, belt 37 still remaining upon loose pulley 39, theposition of the belts being substantially one as shown in Fig. 3.Shoulder 46 is so located that this occurs at the proper time, that iswhen the elevator is at the desired height (position 7)) to cause thekeg to roll over the end of the tank and into the saine (position c). lndoing so the keg drops onto arms 25 which it depresses by its weight asbefore described, whereby the belt-shifter receives another actuation,in the same direction in which it was moved by traveling shifter 44, bymeans of intermediate lever-structures and elements 26, 28, 27, 19. 22and 43 and whereby belt 37 is now shifted onto tight pulley 36, causingniaasaa rotation of the same in opposite direction which sends theelevator downwardly, belt 38 remaining on loose pulley 41. Observe Fig.5. As will be perceived'a moment of rest precedes this reversal ofmotion, 'due to the action of traveling shifter 44 upon shoulder 46.Observe dotted lines in Fig. 4. Tn due time this shifter 44 travelingnow downwardly with the elevator comes in contact with another shoulder47, also on rod 45 and causing this latter to act again upon angle-lever43, so that it pulls the beltshifter to the left, and moves belt 37 0Hfrom the tight pulley and onto loose pulley 39, the other belt remainingon loose pulley 41. This brings the elevator' to a stop in its lowestposition shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with all these parts ready foroperation to hoist another keg into the tank. The keg, (position oFig. 1) has now joined those in the tank and passes down on rails 8toward the discharge end during which time it is soaked and also partlylilled with water. In due time it rolls upon the second elevator whichis constructed, supported and operated substantially like elevator Bdescribed before, except that it operates inside of the tank, so thattwo spaced sills 50-50, which form part of it, may be alined oppositethe ends of rails S, said sills being also inclined like these rails.This elevator consists of a frame guided between posts 51 and comprisesthe elevator platform C proper, a cross-beam 52 and rods 53 whereby bothare connected to form the frame. Sills 50-50 are connected to platformC, the location of the parts being such that these sills occupy aposition bridging the space between the ends of rails 8 and end 54 ofthe tank. See Figs. 1 and 2. 55 is the screw which moves this elevator,it being in engagement with the frame of the same by means of a nut 56.The screw is supported for rotation in either direction in a base 57carried on posts 51. Rotation is effected by a bevelwheel 58 on thescrew, driven by a bevelpinion 59 on a shaft 61. 62 is a pulley tight onshaft 61 and adapted to be driven by either one of two belts 63 and 64,which belts move in opposite directions and are subject to manipulationby a belt-shifter 65. @ne of two loose pulleys 66 and 67, one on eachside of tight pulley 62, receives that one of the belts which is notdriving for the time being, and said belts are spaced so that both mayalso occupy the loose pulleys at which time this elevator is at rest.This belt-shifter is manipulated by means operating automatically butalso capable of being manually operated. These means consist of anangle-lever 68, a link 69 and a lever 71, pivoted at 72. Lever 71 isprovided with a handle 73 to permit manipulation of the belt-shifter byhand.

The passing of a keg from position e to position v7 indicated' in Fig. 1causes, by means of mechanism presently to be described, a shifting ofbelt 64 to tight pulley 62 whereby the elevator C is raised and the kegtransferred to position g indicated in Fig. 1. The keg rolls from theelevator in the last named position and during such movement causes theoperation of mechanism to shift belt 63 to fixed pulley 62 whereby theelevator is lowered into the tank to receive another keg. This part ofthe apparatus is constructed and operates as follows: Sills 50 which attheirinner ends are enlarged or provided with lateral projections asshown at 74 have acted, while moving down with the descending elevator,to depress a stop which so far had held back the lowermost keg andprevented the same from rolling off from track-rails 8 while theelevator was not in proper position opposite them to receive it. Thisstop consists of two stop-bars 75, preferably connected to form aframe-structure so as to move together. This structure is pivoted at 76to the bottom of the tank and is held in normally elevated position byaction of springs or weight. 1f a weight is used as shown at 77 in Figs.l and 2, the structure is in form of an angle-lever (see Fig. 1). If aspring is used as shown at 80 in Fig. 7, projections 74 act upon thefree ends of these springs, or upon extension-bars connected thereto,said bars engaging bars 75 by means of a pin and slot-connection. Thedepression of this stop, whereby it is rendered inoperative to furtherretard a keg, is about completed by the time the elevator has come to astand in its lowest position and at which time sills 50 are alsoopposite to and aline with the ends of rails 8, so that the lowermostkeg, now released, may roll from a position at e on the track-rails intoposition f upon the elevator. The keg while so rolling over acts uponanother lever-structure connected to lever 71 in a manner to causebelt-adjusting actuation of the belt-shifter previously referred to,whereby elevator-raising rotation of screw 55 is effected. Thislever-structure consists preferably of two levers 78, mounted upon arocker-rod 79, supported on the llt tank-bottom and positioned so thatthe upper ends of these levers project into the path of the rolling kegand are depressed thereby whenthe same rolls from the tracks onto theelevator. An arm 81 on this rod is connected to lever 71 by means of alink 82. To prevent other kegs in position CZ from crowding after thisreleased keg, there is a supplementary stop in form of two levers 83,held in normally inoperative position by action of springs or by weightsas shown at 8 4. The last part of the descending movement of theelevator whereby stops 75 were depressed and rendered inoperactive, thisbeing also effected by sills 50 of elevator C, which by means ofprojections 74 act upon ends 85 of these stop-levers 83 and lift theirother ends above track-rails 8 and between the released keg and the onein position-Z back of it. The upward movement of the elevator affectsagain both stops.

It renders the supplementary stop 83 inactive, releasing the kegrestrained by it in position d and permits the other stop bars 7 5 torise so that they are again in active position to arrest progress of thekeg released by the supplementary stop. The keg is now held in positione, by this other stop (75) which prevents it from rolling 01T of therails and into the gap left by the absent elevator. This latter risesuntil the keg on it arrives in position g in which it is free to rollover the edge of the tank and out of the same upon a guide-way 86 onwhich it passes to a washing-machine, or to be otherwise disposed of.While so passing out of the tank the keg. acts again upon aleverstructure consisting of two levers 87 mounted upon a rod 88 andconnected by an arm 89 and a link 90 to lever 7l which actuates thebelt-shifter. Lever 71 is closely balanced by a weight 91 so that it isreadily affected by these actions of the keg.

The shifting of the belts to obtain the reciprocatory movement of theelevator proceeds analogous to the shifting of the belts as explained inconnection with the elevator at the receiving end. A traveling shifter92, moving with the elevator contacts on the upward movement with ashoulder 98, on a rod 94 connected to angle-lever 68 and acts by meansof this latter upon the belt-shifter in a manner to unship the belt fromtight pulley 62 so as to slow up the motion of the moving parts at themoment when the keg arrives in position g and before this motion isreversed by the action of the keg rolling over levers 87, and effectingshifting of the other belt upon the tight pulley. In descending and nearthe end of this movement of the elevator, shifter 92 contacts again withanother shoulder 95 and pulling rod 94 down shifts the driving belt otl'from the tight pulley to slow down the motion momentarily immediatelybefore another keg, when rolling onto sills 50 (position f) reverses themovement again by its contact with levers T8. This elevator operates aslong as there is a keg on track-rails 8 and it comes to a stand-stillautomatically as soon as the last keg is hoisted out of the tank, thebelt shifter being in an intermediate position, due to the action oftraveling shifter 92vupon shoulder 95 whereby the driving belt isshifted from the tight pulley so that both belts occupy the loosepulleys. Therefore when operations are resumed this elevator must bestarted by manual actuation Which is done by action upon handle 73 oflever 7l, as soon as kegs are in the tank. Operation may of course bestopped at any time by manipulation of this lever or of lever 19.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. In a keg-soaking apparatus which comprises an elongated soaking tankprovided with a keg-elevator at one of its ends and with a lengthwisearranged track adapted to receive kegs from the elevator and inclinedtoward the other end, the combination of an elevator at the lower end ofthis inclined track adapted to receive the kegs therefrom, mechanism tomove this elevator, controlling devices in operative connection withthis mechanism and located in the path traveled by the kegs after theyhave left the track and adapted to be acted upon by them to control theaction of the elevator-moving mechanism.

2. In a keg-soaking apparatus which comprises an elongated soaking tankprovided with a keg-elevator at one of its ends and with a lengthwisearranged track adapted to receive kegs from the elevator and inclinedtoward the other end, the combination of an elevator at the lower end ofthis inclined track adapted to receive the kegs therefrom, reversiblemechanism to move this elevator in either direction, a controllingdevice located in the path traveled by the kegs, after they are directedby the track upon the elevator and in operative connection with thereversible elevator-moving mechanism, so that, when said controllingdevice is acted upon by the keg, it will cause operation of theelevator-moving mechanism to raise the elevator, and an additionalcontrolling device, also in operative connection with the reversibleelevator-moving mechanism and located in the path traveled by the kegsafter they leave the raised elevator, whereby said device, when actedupon by a keg, will cause operation of the elevatormoving mechanism tolower the elevator into the tank.

3. In a keg-soaking apparatus which comprises an elongated soaking tankprovided with a lengthwise arranged track adapted to receive kegs andinclined toward one end of the tank from which end it is spaced, thecombination of an elevator comprising a platform, guides for theelevator whereby it is positioned in the space between the end of thetank and the track so as to be adapted to receive kegs from this latter,mechanism whereby this elevator is operated to move between the trackand the upper edge of the tank and means controlled as to position bythe elevator and adapted to prevent kegs from passing off the trackwhile the elevator is not in position to receive them.

il. In a keg-soaking apparatus which comprises an elongated soaking tankprovided with a lengthwise arranged track adapted to receive kegs andinclined toward `one end of the tank from which end it is spaced, thecombination of an elevator comprising a platform, guides for theelevator whereby it is positioned in the space between the end of thetank and the track so as to be adapted to receive kegs from this latter,mechanism whereby this elevator is operated to move between the trackand the upper edge of the tank, an adjustable stop to pre-A vent kegsfrom passing upon the elevator when the same is not opposite the trackand adapted to be rendered inoperative by the elevator to release a kegwhen said elevator inoves into alinement with the track, and asupplementary stop adapted to be rendered operative by the elevator atthe saine time to prevent other kegs from following the keg released bythe first stop.

ln testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

RUDOLPH TROEHLER. Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, T. LE BEAU.

topics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C,

